Eglee Gonzalez Cub, ombudsman of Venezuela, promised this Tuesday to take actions to review the missing persons casesmainly in border areas with Colombia, as well as in Mexico, Peru and Chile.
“No mother should face alone the uncertainty of not knowing where her child is. We are going to accompany them with sensitivity, but also with specific actions, reviewing each case and ensuring that the competent institutions offer answers,” González said in a press release reviewed by Efe.
The defender met with Mother’s Hopea group made up of relatives seeking information about their missing relatives, who have numbered more than 100 since 2019, according to their records.
The group exposed the difficulties that some families have faced in formalizing their complaints. Besides, manifested concern about the possible actions of criminal groups that recruit people in border areas for the purposes of exploitation and forced labor.
The Ombudsman’s Office said that it agreed to begin the individual review of the cases presented, verify the actions carried out and coordinate with the competent national and international organizations.
“The institution will maintain a communication channel with families to inform them about the efforts carried out and the follow-up of their cases, safeguarding the confidentiality and integrity of the people involved,” he added.
In recent years, family members who make up Mother’s Hope They have asked for help to find their missing relatives and have held numerous protests in which they have stated that they have not received a response from Venezuelan institutions.
They have requested help from Colombia for a joint investigation through a binational alliance to clarify the cases of missing persons.
